Indians Prospect Insider

If you look at Jason Giambi and immediately point out that he’s barely hitting at the Mendoza line, you don’t understand the value he has to this Indians team. While it’s true he doesn’t get nearly as many hits as he used to, the hits he does get are more often than not key and clutch. He proved that once again on Tuesday night driving in the game-winning run with a double. Join the IBI's Jake Dungan as he gives his "Second Thoughts" on the Tribe's veteran DH and more in their 6-5 win over Kansas City.

We’ve probably said this before when the Indians have had good first halves of the season the last couple years, but this time, it’s legitimate. There is something special about this Cleveland Indians team. They won’t win every game, but they will battle you tooth and nail until the last pitch is thrown. Join the IBI's Jake Dungan as he gives you a double-dose of Second Thoughts about the Indians' thrilling twin-bill sweep of the White Sox.

Call to the Bullpen has moved to a new show time! Tune in tonight and from now on on Wednesday nights at 10:00 pm ET. Don't look now, but the Indians have won four straight series and are still in second place within striking distance of the Tigers. Now a long, hard road trip will test them and see if they can stay afloat despite their recent struggles away from Progressive Field. The bullpen will play a huge role in whatever success they have. However, they've recently become somewhat unreliable for the Tribe due to injuries and inconsistency. Can they get back on track and go back to being the dominant force they've been in the past? Jake and Hayden discuss all that and more tonight!

Indians ace Justin Masterson had a perfect game through four innings. Slider, sinker, everything was virtually unhittable. He was touched up for a run in the fifth, but through six innings he looked masterful. Then everything fell apart in the seventh as in a blink of an eye the game was tied and in another blink the Indians were losing by three. The IBI's Jake Dungan gives his second thoughts on the tough defeat...

Some were starting to question the future of Scott Kazmir as a starter for the Indians after his last start against Washington, when he served up five runs, four hits and three home runs in just two and two-thirds innings of work. Whether it was the rain, a mechanical issue or just another example of the inconsistency that the left-hander has dealt with so far this season, he had nothing working for him that night.

Call to the Bullpen is celebrating it's 10th show this week! Nick Swisher and Asdrubal Cabrera are injured, but that hasn't stopped the Indians from winning six out of their last eight games and taking three straight series wins. This week, Jake and Hayden break down the starting lineup and whether or not it's lived up to the preseason hype thus far plus lots more. Listen in tonight at 10:30pm!

At times, it felt like the Indians were doing everything in their power to giftwrap a win for Kansas City on Tuesday night thanks to wild pitches, errors and a wild ninth inning. The Indians came away with a 4-3 win, a much needed win and one that was not easy for the hometown boys. The IBI's Jake Dungan shares his second thoughts on the game...

That was the general consensus of many Indians fans shortly after Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers touched up Corey Kluber at Comerica Park on May 10th was that he was a short term option for the rotation and would soon go back to Columbus. Fast forward a month later and now Kluber has anchored himself in pretty well into the Indians rotation and looks to have solidified himself as a true major league starting option for the Indians.

Fictional manager Lou Brown once had a saying about winning streaks. Well, here we are. The Indians are coming off their third win in a row and are now on that elusive winning streak after squeaking past Gio Gonzalez and the Nationals 2-1 in walk-off fashion on Friday night as the red-hot Jason Kipnis drove in Drew Stubbs on a fielder’s choice RBI groundout in the bottom of the ninth. The IBI's Jake Dungan shares his second thoughts on a thrilling Tribe victory...

Welcome to a special Father's Day edition of Call to the Bullpen tonight at 10pm EST. The Indians are back in the win column after taking two out of three from Texas to cap off an otherwise horrific road trip. Now they take on the defending NL East champion Nationals over the weekend in a three-game interleague series back in Cleveland. Can they continue to get back on track and keep pace with Detroit? Jake and Hayden talk about that and much more tonight....

At long last, the Indians' eight-game losing streak is finally over. Some timely hits and an outstanding performance by right-hander led to the Tribe's 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers, and it now appears as if the Kluber could indeed be proving that he's here to stay. With the streak behind them, the Indians can now move forward but not before the IBI's Jake Dungan takes a look back at last night's contest and offers his Second Thoughts.

After arguably his best start in an Indians uniform last weekend, Ubaldo Jimenez pitched his way to an early exit on Friday night against the Tigers in a 7-5 loss. Nick Swisher had his worst game as an Indian with a few misplays in the field and is in a funk at the plate. The Indians have now lost five straight and 13 of their last 17. Times are tough right now, and Jake gives his second thoughts on another Indians loss.

Call to the Bullpen returns to the Cyberwaves tonight for a special MLB draft edition. Jake and Hayden will recap this year's Indians draft picks and discuss the future of first round pick Clint Frazier. In addition, they'll talk about Asdrubal Cabrera going to the disabled list and Chris Perez running into trouble with the law. It all goes live tonight at 10 p.m.!

A four-run third inning by Scott Kazmir was the lone blemish in eight otherwise decent innings by the Indians pitching staff, but the offense was never really able to get on track all night - partly thanks to some brutal umpiring behind homeplate all night. The IBI's Jake Dungan recaps another tough loss for the Indians as they dropped their 11th game in 15 tries.

After more than four hours of rain delays and just one hit, there really is not too much that can be said about the Indians' 9-2 loss to the Rays Friday. Once again, the team's left-handed relief options failed them, and the contest quickly became a forgettable one. Join the IBI's Jake Dungan as he looks back on the rough night and offers his Second Thoughts and some key takeaways.

After a one-week sabbatical, the guys are back to discuss all the latest Tribe and MLB news! The Indians skidded a bit last week, but snapped out of it with a two-game home series sweep against the Reds. Can Cleveland hold their own against the baseball elite and keep pace with the Tigers for the division lead? Jake and Hayden talk about all of that and more....

Zach McAllister did not have his best stuff last night, but he bobbed and weaved his way through five-plus innings and gave the Indians a chance to come back and win. Unfortunately, the bullpen woes continued for the Indians and things fell apart late in the game as the Reds trounced them 8-2. The IBI's Jake Dungan provides his "second thoughts" on another rough loss for the Indians...

By now, most of us are well acquainted with the “Bullpen Mafia” moniker as the Indians relief corps has established itself as the team’s strength over the past several seasons. Well now allow the IBI's Jake Dungan to introduce you to quite possibly the next group of guys to earn a nickname branding: "The Bench Mob".

By coincidence, the same two pitching matchups from the first series between Detroit and Cleveland meet again this week. In round two of Max Scherzer against Corey Kluber, Sherzer prevailed again despite an improved performance by Kluber, who pitched six and a third innings and only allowed three runs. The IBI's Jake Dungan shares his second thoughts on the game...

Ladies and gentlemen, something special is brewing in Cleveland. With each dramatic win, the Indians are giving fans more of a reason to believe. And it’s evident that fans are starting to believe as they turned out in droves at the ballpark Friday night to dine on some dollar dogs, enjoy some fireworks and take in another exciting Tribe victory in walkoff fashion. The IBI's Jake Dungan provides his second thoughts on a thrilling 6-3 walkoff Indians win.

Available IBI Books

The 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!